Hardcore PvP, Runed Meteor, Book of Cain, Beta Screenshots

UPDATE - "Fun" 15 Year Anniversary Is Not a Wallpaper or Release Date.
Good news on this hot topic, the "fun" thing will NOT be a wallpaper! However it will most likely not be a release date.

Official Blizzard Quote:

I don't believe any wallpapers are involved.

Official Blizzard Quote:

a release date would be nice.
It would be. But don't count on it.

Hardcore PVP - Final Death?
One again, pikke has pointed out some good blue posts from the Italian forums. Remember these are roughly translated, so please keep this in mind.

Official Blizzard Quote:

Simply we still have no definitive version of how the characters will be handled Hardcore PvP.
We have in mind the interest that some players, as you are showing, they have towards the Hardcore mode.

During BlizzCon Jay Wilson had said that we are considering various hypotheses, including a small arena for 1v1 and so on. Our aim is obviously to offer you the means to satisfy the desire of players interested in adrenaline mode.
How, we have not definitively decided.

Currently we have no plan to permanently kill the PCs in the arenas for teams, but only in PvE (intended to be: only in areas of the game dedicated to PvE, if a character is killed while on a stroll of course counts the same as final death).

I will keep you updated.

Isn't not dying in hardcore pvp a contradiction?

I honestly can't see how an arena could work with the final death activated.
Each character would have an average life expectancy of 1 match likely, given the ease with which a character might die if the opposing team focus on it.
I understand the adrenaline, but it would be counterproductive for the fun.

That said, we have not yet taken a final decision, our intention is to put some PvP mode that allows the final death, be it by duel, by 1v1 arena, or something we have not yet thought of.

We are evaluating the pros and cons of various options

Wizard - Meteor Runed
We have put together a video of the Wizard's runed Meteor spell. Please keep in mind this is put together from the beta and does not reflect how it will look live.

Book of Cain Signing
For anyone who has or wishes to get a copy of the Book of Cain, now is a good time. On January 7th you can get it signed!

If you have been keeping up with the Big Blue's news lately, then you may have heard about a little product called the Book of Cain. This definitive Diablo source book compounds the franchise's major lore with stunning artwork provided by many of the industry's greatest illustrators.

Heavyweights like; John Howe, Alan Lee, Gerald Brom, Ian McCaig and Adrian Smith to name a few. And also our very own Red Knuckle Welshman, Mark Gibbons!

To celebrate the release, the authors of the book (Chris Metzen, Micky Neilson and Flint Dille) together with artist Mark Gibbons have set up a panel and signing in a Los Angeles book store. Here are the details:

Good stuff with that Wizard rune video - I know they must take some time to make, but I can't help be surprised that there aren't really crazy people in this community who would have made rune vids for all the skills by now o_0.

Dunno if blues about PvP are worrying or not: I keep having this feeling Blizz people are themselves confused about D3.
But I hope they are just good at keeping me confused.

well theres a couple ways to look at it. This is how I look at it.

They could easily just throw it in, or not, and be done with it. The fact is though thats not what they are doing. They are sitting down, and taking the time to think what will make the best game overall. Thats a good thing. (also kinda proves the delay is not SK related...as they have said =P )

Ya, I knew everyone was wondering it just like myself so figured couldn't hurt to ask.

On another note - had no idea I had an account - Been so long since I posted(says I have 10 posts) but can't find any and had to have my password reset and changed my profile picture cause it was like 4-5 years old